I looked around for ideas on books, on this site and also on the recommended list by CompTIA and found a few that look like good ideas. However, while a few had good reviews, other books that "look" good from the cover, have no reviews. So i was wondering what you guys can tell me about these options please:

However, I'm curious as to why you want to study for A+? A+ is a lot of information about hardware and Windows OS repair. I'm not trying to slam A+, but I really want you to understand this: it is good for people don't really know any thing about workstations. If you are looking for other skills/knowledge than basics of workstations, A+ will be a waste of your time and money. If you are just starting out with computers, it is a decent cert to get just to pickup some decent fundamentals of workstations. But, if you already know a fair amount about computers, (as in: can tell the difference between a modem and a NIC. You fix your rig and/or your families' rig. You can install a MoBo, video card, and hard drive.) you probably can skip it. It might be decent if you have no professional computer experience and are looking to start in the trenches (computer repair/help desk). However, A+ doesn't have a lot of knowledge that is applicable to security or system administration (which is why I would guess you are posting here). Most people I know have never bothered taking the A+ or even cracking a study book for it.

Network+ on the other hand is a great certification to start with. It will give you a great base in networks and should provide you with a great basic understanding of how networks communicate. It covers a lot of protocols (what they do and how they work), network hardware, wiring, and some basics of security. I used an old version of the Sybex Network+ book to study my self. I thought the book was a great study tool and very well organized. It also has questions to help you gauge what you do or don't know about what is included in the following chapter.

Honestly, i'm going for the MCSA/MCSE and was thinking of choosing the A+/Net+ elective. The reason i picked that over the Sec+ is because i was thinking superficially...two certs as opposed to one. However, you brought up a good point.

I have been building and fixing workstations for many years, built my first server for work a few weeks ago. In addition to having decent hardware knowledge, i've also taken two classes in college that went deeper into hardware, so maybe it'd be a waste of time and money.

You were correct in assuming that im focusing on security and system administration.

The other thing is also that i would like to get at least two of these CompTIA certs before January 2011, which is when you will have to re-cert every 3 years.

So i should either do Net+ and Sec+ in the next 4 months (if i feel like i can pull off Sec+ in 4 months while also studying for Net+), or pick a different elective for the MCSA that is security related.

You were correct in assuming that im focusing on security and system administration.

Have you thought of doing Security+ and Linux+?

I know you say you're going for your MCSA/MCSE, but why pigeonhole yourself into just Microsoft system administration? I don't know anything about Microsoft certification electives and whether or not Linux+ counts toward anything. But, I would encourage you to learn Linux as well as MS as a system administrator.

Posted by: ziggy_567Insert QuoteQuoteYou were correct in assuming that im focusing on security and system administration.

Have you thought of doing Security+ and Linux+?

I know you say you're going for your MCSA/MCSE, but why pigeonhole yourself into just Microsoft system administration? I don't know anything about Microsoft certification electives and whether or not Linux+ counts toward anything. But, I would encourage you to learn Linux as well as MS as a system administrator.

If you are doing your MCSA/MCSE I would go for the Sec+ as you can use it for a elective and give yourself the MCSA/MCSE security. I would also advise to do the Linux plus. Not just for the qualifications but for the knowledge. All knowledge is important. And if you want to get in to security Linux seems to be the way to go.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.- Sun Tzu

I think going for the Sec+ is a good option and one that i would benefit from. However, after reading some posts and reviews on the Sec+, i wonder if my background in networking is strong enough to do the Sec+ straight up, or if i should do the Net+ first. I'll do some more research and find out.

As far as the Linux+ is concerned, that's something i'm interested in doing in the near future. Good point on that as well.

Having done the Net+ and the Sec+ I will say that the Net+ will not help you that much in your Sec+. They are not related and there is little to no overlap.

If you have a networking background, you would likely have little difficulty passing the Net+ exam. It really isn't that difficult. However, since a lot of the Net+ is outdated material, you might do better going after a CCNA/CCENT certification. These carry more weight with potential employers from my experience.

If you are trying to meet the year end deadline so you don't have to recertify, I'd definitely go for the Sec+ first, then either the Linux+ or Net+ - whichever you decide on. You might have trouble getting all three done in the next 3 months. Two is definitely doable, though.

Likely just going to focus on Sec+ for now (there's no hurry on the Linux+ since it's not on the list of certs that will need re-certification) so i can absorb it better and not just "study to pass the exam."

After the Sec+, i'll likely finish off the MCSA, maybe MCSE (for my current job), then go for the CCNA and Linux+.

Again... appreciate the different options you guys threw out there for me.

I would think LPI would have more weight than Linux+, maybe that is just me (I haven't taken either yet, but I would probably do LPI). As far as I understand you can take Security+ and it would count as an elective for MCSA/MCSE. Depending on your background in networking, you might be able to pass Net+ with minimal additional effort (it's CompTIA, so you know its packed full of trivial knowledge that most people don't know or google when they actually need it). I would think the CCNA Security might be a better way to go. Even though it is vendor specific, it does cover the fundamentals too.

Net+ is a good cert if you don't know a lot about networking, but keep in mind it is for network technicians with 0-6 months experience (if I remember correctly). I just didn't want to make it seem like I was slamming Net+ either.